This application claims priority of Korean Application No. 2003-0009677, filed on Feb. 17, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated fully herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a pillar trim in an automobile having a curtain type airbag and, more particularly, to a mounting structure of a pillar trim that enables a center pillar to endure an exploding shock from the curtain type airbag without detachment of the pillar trim therefrom.
In general, an airbag assembly is equipped into the steering wheel of a vehicle and a crash pad in front of the passenger seat so as to protect an occupant in the event of head-on collisions by deploying an inflatable restraint.
Recently, a side airbag for protecting an occupant from a side impact has been provided in luxury vehicles, the side airbag is contained in a headlining adjacent to the upper end of a center pillar in an uninflated condition and is downwardly deployed when side impact occurs. With an explosive force, such side airbag bends away the edge of the headlining to deploy therefrom. The explosive force affects not only the edge of the headlining, but also the upper part of a pillar trim closely disposed to the edge of the headlining.
Therefore, it often causes a problem in that the pillar trim is detached from a pillar and bends toward an interior of a vehicle due to the explosive force generated by the curtain type airbag. Such detachment of the pillar trim may even obstruct deployment and/or shock-absorption by the curtain type airbag.
In order to overcome aforementioned drawbacks, pillar trim structures having reinforcing means at the upper part thereof have been developed. For example, Japanese Patent publication No. 2001-114061 discloses several embodiments of a pillar trim structure, wherein a guide element is provided for detouring the explosive force of a curtain type airbag, which is transferred to the upper part of the pillar.
In this reference, each of the disclosed embodiments have the same purpose and effect to prevent a direct impact with the upper part of a pillar trim on deployment of the airbag by guiding the direction of deployment of the airbag. However, there is a problem that the pillar trim is easily detached from the pillar due to the explosive force during deployment of the airbag because pillar trims in such embodiments are not rigidly fixed to the body panel of the vehicle.
Other attempted solutions include the use of a supporting bracket rigidly fixed to the pillar trim and a body panel of the vehicle by means of screws. However, there is also a problem that such supporting brackets connecting the pillar trim and the body panel are frequently broken by the explosive force generated in an airbag during a deployment, so that the pillar trim is detached from the body panel, disturbing shock-absorbing of the airbag.
In yet another pillar trim structure a reinforcing plate is provided with a rectangular connecting part integrally formed at the lower end thereof and a hook integrally formed at the upper part thereof. The reinforcing plate is disposed on the upper surface of the pillar trim and secured by means of screws. A slit on the body panel corresponds to the hook. In installation of the pillar trim to the body panel, the hook is inserted into the slit and secures the pillar trim. This pillar trim structure is also disadvantageous in that the hook of the reinforcing plate is frequently deformed or destroyed during deployment of the airbag, so that the pillar trim is accordingly detached from the body panel.
In order to address the foregoing drawbacks, the inventors of the present invention have invented a pillar trim with improved structure and filed an application (Application No. 10-2002-0071675) for that invention in the Republic of Korea. However, there is still room for improving the pillar trim structure to withstand the explosive force of an airbag, so that detachment of the pillar trim is prevented.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a pillar trim structure suitable for a vehicle equipped with a curtain type airbag. In an exemplary embodiment, a pillar trim structure comprises a suspending bracket formed on an inner surface of the pillar trim in the vicinity of a screw housing. A plurality of reinforcing ribs are integrally formed on the outer surface of the suspending bracket. Restrainers are disposed between the pillar trim and the suspending bracket. A supporting plate is inserted into a gap formed between the restrainer and the suspending bracket. Preferably, the pillar trim and supporting plate are secured together to a body panel of the vehicle by means of a screw that passes therethrough.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supporting plate has a recessed portion at the center thereof, which partially encompasses the end of the screw housing. The both ends of the supporting plate are inserted into the gap formed between restrainers and suspending brackets.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of reinforcing ribs is integrally formed on the outer surface of the suspending bracket.
Yet another preferred embodiment further comprises a backing bracket underneath the curtain type airbag, which serves as the first shock-absorbing element during the deployment of the airbag. The lower part of the backing bracket is disposed between a supporting plate and a body panel of a vehicle, and is fixed by a fastening means such as a screw.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that even if the screw housing is destroyed by the explosive force of the airbag, the connection between the pillar trim and body panel remains by means of the supporting plate being inserted into the gap formed between the restrainer and the suspending bracket. Thus, detachment of the pillar trim is effectively prevented.